


Flight Troubles

by ConstellationStation



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, Sibling Bonding, dragony things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 13:49:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21282755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConstellationStation/pseuds/ConstellationStation
Summary: After several fruitless attempts at flying, Corrin goes to Camilla for help.
Kudos: 9





	Flight Troubles

Corrin stands before a beaten path, panting heavily. Just outside the walls of her fort, she faces a sea of trees, save for a long stretch of clearing she made using the power of dragon veins several days prior. The grass was worn down to scant patches, with most of the clearing being trampled dirt. Corrin considered using dragon veins again to cover her tracks, but decided against it. Her makeshift runway was easier to use without greenery to trip her up and anyone who cared to look would already find the sudden lack of trees suspicious.

After catching her breath, Corrin makes another attempt. Placing a hand on her dragonstone, tied to her belt, opposite where she keeps her sword, she calls on the power within to reshape her. Blue fire burns away her human form until a much larger dragon stands in her place. She stretches her legs and wings first for good measure before running across the clearing. 

She keeps her pace measured, not expending too much energy yet. She spreads her wings, feeling the wind press against them, tugging them skyward. She flaps them once. Twice. The end of the clearing draws closer, the thick trees beyond would halt her if she doesn’t make her way over them. 

So she leaps. Even while flapping her wings at the apex of her jump, she doesn’t stay airborne for more than a few seconds. She lands, but keeps her momentum going, timing her jumps and the beat of her wings.

Corrin feels like a chicken.

She skids to a stop before she crashes into the trees and gets her antlers tangled in the branches like her first few attempts. Reverting back to human form, she flops down among the roots with a frustrated groan.

Before she could wallow in self-pity, light footsteps catch her attention. She rolls over to her back to look at the newcomer. 

Jakob is standing over her with a kind smile on his face and a tray of tea in his hands. “Refreshments, milady?”

She hadn’t told Jakob she would be practicing, much less request for tea. He just had the much appreciated, if not slightly uncanny, ability to find here wherever she is and have just what she needs.

“Yes, please.” Sitting up, she accepts the cup he hands her and takes a long sip. It’s her favorite blend of black tea, with the right amount of lemon and honey. “Perfect as always! Many thanks, Jakob.”

He bows deeply, but not before she catches the silly grin on his face, “You deserve no less.”

Sitting down next to her, he pours a cup for himself. “Any progress, milady?”

Corrin sets down her cup to blow a raspberry. They were quite a ways from the fort, he would’ve already been in the forest and seen her practice for him to greet her with tea on such short notice. “Like you don’t already know.”

“You at least have better control of your landing this time around.”

She reaches behind him to swat his ponytail. He doesn’t acknowledge the gesture and continues to sip his tea.

“Lady Corrin, if I may?”

“You have a suggestion?”

“Why don’t you seek help from someone who has experience in this matter?”

Corrin drains her cup before responding. “Lilith isn’t much help, she doesn’t even need wings to fly. She thinks I could probably do it if I train though,” she says, gesturing to their surroundings, “as you can see I heeded her advice.”

“I meant someone else,” Jakob takes her empty cup, “Princess Camilla could offer some insights, as she does excel in flying a reptile around.”

“Eh, I dunno...” She turns the idea around in her head. “Camilla’s probably gonna tease me about this. I can feel it.”

“Her teasing will be the lesser evil,” Jakob points out. “Our only other flier is Subaki.”

Corrin cringes at the thought of the perfectionist pegasus rider overseeing her flying lessons. Admittedly, Beruka was also an option, but the stoic former assassin barely spoke to her and this would be a strange place to start. “Alright, I’m convinced.”

Jakob is already on his feet before she can move to stand. With the tray of tea in one hand, he offers the other to help her up. “Shall I search for Princess Camilla for you?”

She takes his hand, “thanks but I’ll manage. I have a pretty good guess of where she’s at right now.” 

They walk back to the fort together, parting ways since Jakob has the tea set to take care of and Corrin has her own business. 

“Thanks again, Jakob,” she says, waving goodbye.

He bows, “it’s always a pleasure, milady.”

A wall of steam greets Corrin as she enters the bathhouse. The wooden panel at the doorway had the pink side facing up, indicating that it was indeed the ladies’ time to be in the baths. While there are times where people forget to flip the sign, at least Corrin has an excuse if she turns out to be mistaken. She spots black armor and her older sister’s signature horned tiara in the locker room, confirming Camilla’s presence. 

Corrin was just wondering whether she should wait for her sister outside when her voice calls out, “Helloo, is anyone in there?”

Corrin goes to stand in the doorway between the locker room and the baths. The steam is thicker inside, but she makes out Camilla’s figure sitting in the water. “Hey.”

“Corrin! I thought it was you,” Camilla exclaims. “Goodness, darling, what are you still doing in your armor inside the bath?”

“I was just looking for you, I can wait outside though…” She says sheepishly, pointing a thumb at the exit.

Camilla stands up, water dripping from her hair, “You need me for something?”

Corrin’s eyes flick away despite the swimsuit her sister is clad in. “Just a favor, it can wait really.” The last time she was in the bath with her sister, Camilla had tried every skin care product she had on her. It wasn't an entirely pleasant experience.

"Well, if it can wait," Camilla sinks back into the water, "come join me then. You must be sweating in that stuffy suit of yours."

The humidity wasn't doing her any favors in her armor, but Corrin was still reluctant to get in the bath.

At her hesitation, Camilla calls out, "don't make me come get you."

"Alright, sheesh," Corrin retreats into the locker room, not putting it past her sister to wrestle her into the bath. "I'll get changed."

"Good."

Camilla doesn't follow her into the locker room, nor does Corrin recall seeing any beauty products near her. Deeming her sister unarmed, she strips off her clothes and dons a swimsuit. 

Corrin returns to the bath only to find Camilla waiting for her by the entrance with a bottle in hand. The sight makes her freeze in her tracks.

"Relax, dear," she giggles, "it's just soap."

"Err… thanks?" She reaches for the bottle, but Camilla holds it away from her.

Camilla tuts at her, "you've spent more time with Hoshidans than I have, don't you know their bathhouse traditions?"

"Bathhouse traditions?" 

"Indeed, they call this," she gestures around them, "an onsen. And they have certain practices they perform here."

Corrin recalls the times she and Azura or Sakura were in the baths together. They didn't seem to do anything special. "Uh huh. And you know this how?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, Hoshido owns the concept of hot springs. I know how to research my interests. Also," she adds with a smile, "I asked your nice friend, Kaze, about them."

She snorts at the thought of poor, soft-spoken Kaze being accosted by her over enthusiastic sister about something like baths. “Then what, pray tell, are these traditions?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Camilla grabs her wrist and drags her to the stone chairs at the corner. “Now turn around, darling, I’ll wash your back.”

Corrin stiffens as Camilla’s hands press against her shoulder blades and she scoots away. “Hey! I can wash myself, thank you!”

“Oh, quit fussing,” Camilla grabs her before she can escape, “this is part of their tradition, honest!”

“Really?” Corrin grumbles, but lets Camilla slather soap on her, “I don’t see Azura trying to wash other people.”

Camilla sounds genuinely surprised, “she doesn’t? Well that won’t do! We should all go to the baths together sometime. Even little Sakura should come. It’ll be a sister bonding activity.”

“I suppose that would be nice.” Presently, Sakura was still nervous around Camilla. While Corrin thinks this kind of bonding activity is just as likely to scare her further than bring them closer, she supposes Camilla deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Warm water pours over her, washing off the suds. Camilla hands her the soap bottle and presents her back to her, “Alright, do me next.”

“But you were just in the bath?” She points out, complying anyway.

“Details, details.”

Suddenly, Corrin finds the concept of washing another person to be very awkward. What had Camilla been doing to her earlier? If her sister senses hesitation in her movements, she doesn’t comment on it.

“What was that favor you wanted to ask me?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, about that…” she rubs Camilla’s shoulders as she figures out how to phrase her request. “I was wondering if you could teach me how to fly?”

Camilla perks up, “You want to be a wyvern rider? I would gladly teach you, but I’m not sure where we’ll find an extra wyvern. What with the whole rebelling against Nohr thing.”

“No, actually I want to learn to fly. Me, in my dragon form.”

“Well, that’s certainly interesting,” she hums. 

Corrin leans forward to peer at her sister’s expression. “What do you think?”

Camilla grins at her, “With my help, you’ll be soaring the skies in no time.”

Camilla told her to wait on the fort’s ramparts while she fetched her wyvern from the stables. So there she sits, nestled between the merlons, swinging her legs idly in the air. 

Heavy wingbeats alert Corrin to her sister’s arrival. She hops off her perch and onto the walkway as Camilla lands her wyvern next to her. 

Much like his rider, Tesoro was met with fear and hesitance by the Hoshidans. Corrin understands where they're coming from, but that doesn't mean she agrees with them. Tesoro was a terrifying sight, with vacant eyes that glowed blood red and a rough hide that was littered with battle scars.

He greets her with a soft warble as he lands and Corrin is more than happy to pet his snout. For her, Tesoro acted pretty much the same since he was alive and after he was resurrected as a malig, but until recently, Corrin's only experience with him was when Camilla let them play together. Camilla and Tesoro were a savage pair in combat and it was only natural for former enemies to be wary of them.

"Are you ready to start?" Camilla asks, sliding off her mount.

"You bet! Although…" Corrin glances at the drop off the side of the ramparts, "I'm literally starting from zero here. If you make me jump off, I'm just going to fall."

Camilla laughs, "I'm not expecting you to be able to fly so soon. Gliding would be a good place to start, however, so you should try that first."

"Of course!" Corrin groans, "why didn't I think of that."

"How about you transform first, dear, I want to check something."

Touching her dragonstone, Corrin steps back and lets her dragon blood overtake her. 

Her senses are very strange in her dragon form, like she's in a cavern behind a waterfall, separated from the world behind a veil of flowing water. Her vision is blurred and tinted, but she can feel movement like shifts in the current.

She is aware of Camilla circling her, every step a disturbance in the water, an echo in the cave.

Camilla takes her wing by the edge and spreads it, humming. "Let me just…" 

Corrin lets out a startled cry as Camilla suddenly wraps her arms around her chest and lifts her bodily off the ground. Corrin’s hindlegs were still on the walkway, of course, and she wonders if Camilla would be able to carry her whole body if she’s positioned right. A grunt of exertion hints otherwise as Camilla sets her down as quickly as she lifted her.

“Just as I thought,” her sister says, “you’re lighter than you look.”

“So flying is absolutely possible, yes?” Corrin says, her voice echoing. While supportive, Lilith wasn’t entirely certain about her ability. It would be nice to confirm that her efforts won’t be in vain.

“Yes, yes,” Camilla goes over to her mount and guides him to the edge of the wall. “Now, when you jump off, spread your wings and hold them steady. Tesoro and I will make sure you don’t get hurt.”

Corrin trots to the edge, overlooking the runway she had been practicing in earlier. The wind blowing in her face gives her some confidence. Turning around to the opposite end of the wall, she gets a running start before leaping over the edge, spreading her wings.

And then she starts falling.

Panicking, she flaps her wings on instinct, but that doesn’t seem to slow or stop her fall. Corrin flails in the air for a few seconds before talons close around her sides. She staggers a bit as she’s deposited on the ground, but she’s unhurt. Tesoro lands next to her.

“That wasn’t bad for a first attempt,” Camilla gives her an assuring smile.

Corrin shifts back into human form and throws her hands up in frustration, “wasn’t bad? That was a disaster!”

“Even birds and wyverns don’t learn to fly overnight, you know.” Camilla holds her hand out towards her, “you’ll get the hang of it after a couple more tries.”

Corrin takes her hand and climbs up behind her on the saddle, grumbling. Tesoro takes them back to the top of the wall for another attempt.

And another, and another.

She loses count of the number of tries because there is little differences between them. Keeping her wings steady was harder than it sounds, and whether she flapped them or not, her path to the ground is still more akin to falling rather than gliding.

After countless more attempts, Camilla decides it was time to stop.

Corrin is back in her human form, but Camilla would describe her expression as more befitting of a dragon. Her red eyes were stormy and sharp as she glares at the ground, as if she could intimidate it into avoiding her when she next takes off. 

She places a hand on her little sister’s shoulder, “we’ll try again tomorrow, alright? Let’s call it a day.”

“No, I think I know how to get it right this time,” Corrin waves her off, but her determination is belied by her evident exhaustion, “maybe if there was more wind…”

“You shouldn’t be overworking yourself over this, dear,” Camilla sighs, “any kind of skill, but this especially, takes a lot of time to get the hang of. Besides, you still have the war to worry about.”

Corrin doesn’t respond. She seems to be deep in thought, but at least she’s calmed down. 

Camilla turns around to grab Tesoro’s reins, “Come on, we’ll fly you to your treehouse.”

The sound of crackling flames that usually accompany Corrin’s transformations make her turn around. Her little sister is back in her dragon form and was perched on the edge of the rampart with her wings outstretched.

“Corrin, I said that’s enou-” Camilla is cut off by a strong gust of wind. As her hair is whipped around her face, obscuring her vision, Corrin’s scream cuts through the air and fades quickly. 

“Corrin!” Camilla pulls her hair back to see her sister hurtle across the sky as though she was flung from a catapult. “Don’t worry, I’m coming for you, baby girl!”

Tesoro had resisted the sudden gale by digging his claws into the wall. Camilla hurriedly gets on the saddle and urges him to fly. “After her!”

They try to ride the wind to catch up, but the gust that Corrin likely summoned from dragon veins was dying down and Camilla didn’t risk calling on another.

She sees Corrin crash into the trees in the distance and spurs her wyvern faster. 

Camilla has Tesoro land near, but not directly on, where they saw Corrin crash. In the absence of a clearing, they had to push past the canopy to reach the forest floor.

“Corrin?” she calls out, “where are you, dear?”

A bird makes alarm calls in the distance. Tree branches creak and rustle.

Fear starts to creep up on her when she hears Corrin reply, “I’m over here!”

Camilla urges her mount through the undergrowth, towards her sister’s voice. From the sound of her, Corrin is in her human form. 

Eventually, she spots her sister clinging to a tree branch overhead. Much to Camilla’s relief, she appears relatively unharmed. 

“Are you alright,” as Camilla gets closer, she sees that Corrin hadn’t dropped her transformation entirely, her wings and tail dangling behind her. “You could have gotten seriously hurt,” she scolds.  
Corrin accepts her help getting off of the branch and into the saddle behind her, mumbling sheepish gratitude and something else.

“What was that?” Camilla asks, turning around.

Corrin gives Camilla her best puppy eyes, “you said earlier we could try again tomorrow?”

Normally, Camilla would jump at any opportunity to hang out with or help her siblings, but the scratches on Corrin’s face and the near heart attack she had earlier when the dragon vein was activated made her reconsider.

“Absolutely not.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tesoro means "treasure" in Italian, but can be used as "darling" (if my brief Google search is to be believed). Camilla strikes me as the kind of person to use terms of endearment as names. While Nohr is a mashup of all sorts of European countries, the Roman Empire stands out a bit, thematically, so I went with Italian.
> 
> dragon!Corrin is kind of a letdown compared to Awakening Manaketes who can fly and have ranged attacks. But Kana's dialogue in both Heroes and Fates claim they can fly, also in Heroes, all dragon units have some form of breath attack. While the latter can be explained as just game mechanics, how I'm choosing to interpret this is that Corrin CAN do these dragony things, they just haven't figured out how to yet. I mean, for most of their life, they were just a pointy eared human and then suddenly they can turn into a lizard! The dragonstone doesn't come with an instruction manual so they kinda have to trial and error all the dragony stuff. They're able to teach Kana in a more guided manner than how they learned it, hence Kana seems to fare better in the dragon department.
> 
> On slightly less related ramblings, Corrin just has a really funky dragon design. They have no facial orifices to speak of!! No eyes, no nose, their mouth isn't even a mouth! it's half a bear trap attached to the bottom of their head! Also they knuckle-walk on all fours, which is weird, but okay.


End file.
